I love working in clients’ homes, of course, but it’s always fun to have a different challenge. Enter: a super cool law office space in a live-work condo in West Seattle.
The condo/future office was a blank slate. I needed to create a professional setting that was also warm and inviting. Take a tour of the space with the before & after photos below, and let me know how I did!
This overhead shot (above) looks back at the frosted entry doors, which let in natural alight, but also feel private. Entry rugs by FLOR will help keep up with foot traffic and the sometimes rainy Seattle weather.
To the left of the entry, the room opens up to the main meeting space, with a lovely wood table by Bruce Hanamura at The Design Pallet, offset by black pendant lights and chairs.
And how amazing is this bold painting? It’s the first thing you see when you enter the space. And if you look closely, just above the painting, you can see an open window to the upstairs in the “before” photo. The clients wanted the option to close that space off when needed, so we added sliding doors, which offer privacy, and give the room a clean look.
Finally, circling around back to the right, you see we updated the stairway and privacy screen at the top. It looks so much more warm and inviting.
Now, more on the furniture and artwork. This unique office space called for unique furniture and art. I commissioned local furniture maker, as well as an artist, to create one-of-a-kind pieces to set this office apart from more traditional offices.
The above console table and bench were created by local furniture-maker, Bruce Hanamura, of The Design Pallett. The light wood against the dark legs give the pieces a classic, yet modern look.
Bruce also created this coat rack in the entry way.
For the artwork, I turned to local artist, Laura Van Horne, whose work can be seen at Gray Sky Gallery. Her paintings set a contemporary, yet whimsical tone in the space, and the colors all tie together beautifully. The black collage piece at the bottom actually incorporates the Constitution, which seemed appropriate for a law office.
Lighting in any environment is crucial, but with this office space, we needed to strike the right balance of being well-lit and functional, while making the most of the large windows and natural light. For this specific project, I brought in a lighting consultant, Gwen Demombynes of Moonbeam Lighting.
Here, pendant task lighting supports the conference table, while natural light can flow in from the side windows and above.
The space is now a warm, professional setting for this couple to meet and counsel their clients.